My Hampsten is great, but....

[4Rings6Stars]

Both the front and the rear derailleur cables touch the frame tubes.

The rear isn't a huge deal as it just barely touches the seatstay and it still shifts perfectly. Methinks the cable stop should have been placed an inch or two lower on the stay...

The front is not necessarily an issue with the frame since it was designed to use a pulley and a bottom pull FD and I am running it with a top pull. It works as-is, but it is far from optimal. I think I will probably source a pulley and give it a try. There is a lot of contact / friction between the cable and the seat tube and it will probably scratch/wear a groove into the paint over time.

Is this a common issue? Something to worry about or am I making something of nothing?

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/telepciaka/Hampsten/2CC396E6-7B9C-4372-86DE-EEB4CBF72C41_zpsehod7tzp.jpg (http://s733.photobucket.com/user/telepciaka/media/Hampsten/2CC396E6-7B9C-4372-86DE-EEB4CBF72C41_zpsehod7tzp.jpg.html)

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/telepciaka/Hampsten/6E946D80-0A76-4093-A3F3-776AA1F1B4FE_zpsdal7izrh.jpg (http://s733.photobucket.com/user/telepciaka/media/Hampsten/6E946D80-0A76-4093-A3F3-776AA1F1B4FE_zpsdal7izrh.jpg.html)

[Matt-H]

Get some of this, and you are good to go.

http://www.3m.com/product/information/Scotchgard-Paint-Protection-Film.html

[cachagua]

The way I set my bikes up, they all rub their cables under the downtube. Just add some of the teflon liner found inside cable housing, usually available separately from bike shops.

Edit: that paint protection film looks good too!

[lhuerta]

...I would agree, very poor placement of the cable stops. Get some rubber cable silencers or run a teflon cable liner on that section of cable (or both), to avoid noise and also rubbing on the finish. Looks like a nice ride, otherwise. Lou

[rnhood]

Those cable stops seem a bit high to me. But even lower, the housing contacting the tubes is relatively common....I think. Matt's 3M recommendation is excellent.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . or checked for it on any of my frames because I always run cable donuts on all these spots. Standard procedure to guard my frame finish.

I've put that 3M film on several of my frames, particularly on areas on the underside of the tubes, such as underside of the downtube, where objects might be thrown upward by the tire and scratch the frame. It has worked great for me and one roll will do a lot.

BBD

[jamesau]

You may consider how your cable housing length of that section affects rub. Sometimes just a slight change of length can make a difference between rub and no-rub.

Sweet looking bike from that teaser pic!

[Steve in SLO]

Hampsten would probably love to see that picture and have your feedback.

[thirdgenbird]

I wonder if the front was designed with a pulley and standard road derailleur in mind.

[nighthawk]

I wonder if the front was designed with a pulley and standard road derailleur in mind.

That'd be my guess.

[alastair]

...I would agree, very poor placement of the cable stops. Get some rubber cable silencers or run a teflon cable liner on that section of cable (or both), to avoid noise and also rubbing on the finish. Looks like a nice ride, otherwise. Lou

Those cable stops seem a bit high to me. But even lower, the housing contacting the tubes is relatively common....I think. Matt's 3M recommendation is excellent.

How do you avoid this on the frames you build?

[robin3mj]

If that's the Mudpig with the orange decals, the only fix is to sell it to me...

[4Rings6Stars]

Thanks for the suggestions. Going to grab some Teflon or 3m tape.


That'd be my guess.

I wonder if the front was designed with a pulley and standard road derailleur in mind.


Re-read my post... Definitely made for a pulley and road fd.

[4Rings6Stars]

If that's the Mudpig with the orange decals, the only fix is to sell it to me...

It is. Going to get a proper fitting in the coming weeks...after that I will be probably selling a few bikes to focus on the ones that fit the best / find a new one. I'll let you know of it doesn't make the cut!

[oldpotatoe]

Did the RD cable always touch the RH seat stay?

I just recently saw an aluminum Spec-ed, with Vs and the stays were bending, not straight any more..also on a Mandaric, anybody remember those?

Same thing....bending stays..doubt it but the cable is a straight line, seems the stay isn't, at least from the pic.

[thirdgenbird]

Thanks for the suggestions. Going to grab some Teflon or 3m tape.

Re-read my post... Definitely made for a pulley and road fd.

Somehow I missed that whole paragraph.

[Black Dog]

The rubbing on the rear seat stay is really the result of bad placement of the the cable stop. This should have never left the workshop like that. They should take that frame back an relocate the stop for you. You should not have to add protection to a frame to prevent exposed cables from rubbing through the paint under normal use. Call them up and see what they have to say. Give them a fair chance to make this right.

[4Rings6Stars]

The rubbing on the rear seat stay is really the result of bad placement of the the cable stop. This should have never left the workshop like that. They should take that frame back an relocate the stop for you. You should not have to add protection to a frame to prevent exposed cables from rubbing through the paint under normal use. Call them up and see what they have to say. Give them a fair chance to make this right.

I am owner number three (I think)... But might be worth asking, especially since the original owner is a forum member here.

[Climb01742]

Steve H is an absolutely stand up guy. My guess is, tell him about the situation and he'll do everything reasonable to help. He's good people.

[bewheels]

Unless I am missing something (wouldn't be a first), you have kinda sorta answered your own question.

The question is the front d cable path. It is currently set up with a top pull front d. Because of this, the cable needs to reach across the seat tube to get from the cable stop to the front d. You mentioned that the frame is set up to use a pully and a bottom pull front d. That cable stop looks to be in the correct position for using a pully and bottom pull front d.

Am sure you can find better pictures but here are some that give a bit of an idea. http://ifbikesblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/disturbed-ti-cross-bike.html

[yashcha]

I used to put a little frame protector thing on the rear drive side seat stay where the cable got really close. I don't remember it being an issue in terms of shifting performance, are there already some marks on there from the cable?

I assume that the braze-on on the seat tube was designed so you get the best cable entry angle when using the pulley system, so I do not think that you will be able to route the cable that way, unfortunately.

Also, it helps to keep the top tube looking nice if you put a clear plastic chainstay protector on the top of the top tube. This is where you would press down with your palm right before dismounting, and the cables can really mess up the paint. I am sure you already know this, but thought to mention it for other forum members.

[cash05458]

Wonder if that paint protection film might work over top tube brake cable guides to keep sweat out...has anyone tried that?

[sw3759]

i certainly remember Mandaric.is he still in business?,i'm guesssing no.
i was really wanting one after reading all the bike tests bicycle guide and RBA published in the 90's..
i haven't forgotten that you were very helpful with my decision making based on your past experiences with those frames
i havent seen any pop up anywhere in the last decade

[Adam]

Hey, what is the story on the blue jersey with the red and white stripes?

I have an identical one that was given to me and there is no branding on it. I wear it all the time and love it.

Thanks for any and all info you can provide.

[bismo37]

My Hampco MAX's derailleur cables rub under the DT leaving a mar mark on the paint, but I run my cables crossed. I may end up running them straight through to see if that makes a difference. I, too, bought the frame used with no such mar, so I'm guessing the previous owner didn't cross cable under the DT.

[cachagua]

Go ahead and cross the cables under the downtube -- only, take two five-inch pieces of teflon cable liner, hold them across each other in a very acute X-shape, and join them with a half-inch of heat-shrink. And run the cables through that.

[thirdgenbird]

Go ahead and cross the cables under the downtube

Top tube cable routing

[pbarry]

RD seat stay stop should be even with the SS bridge or just slightly above on this frame with curved stays. Workarounds are fine, but should not be necessary at this level.

[cachagua]

(Sorry, meant the person with the Max in the post above)

[miguel]

if you are concerned about paint issues on a white cyclocross race bike then you may have purchased the wrong bike.

you should have contacted hampsten prior to posting to a public forum

no bananas for you today.

[4Rings6Stars]

)if you are concerned about paint issues on a white cyclocross race bike then you may have purchased the wrong bike.

you should have contacted hampsten prior to posting to a public forum

no bananas for you today.


Cool it there pal.

Not bashing the builder, just trying to get a feel for whether or not this is actually an issue or not and what I should do about it. I thought it would be sort of out of line to complain to the builder when I am not the original owner and not sure if there is actually an issue.

I don't mind the frame getting dinged up while racing, but I would prefer not to damage it knowingly or deliberately. White or green...a scratch is a scratch and bare steel is bare steel. Being in New England and riding year round, I would like to keep the paint gouging to a minimum.

[frankiefrijoles]

peculiar case

[miguel]

This is keeping you awake at night. I am typing this at 1030 pm pacific.

There is nothing to worry about

Life too short

[miguel]

Woah

woah

hold on ther

[4Rings6Stars]

This is keeping you awake at night. I am typing this at 1030 pm pacific.

There is nothing to worry about

Life too short

Sorry, I just got home from the firm holiday party with lots of free flowing liquor... I very well may be out of line. It just sounded to me like your post was purely negative and offered no useful information.

Truth is, this is far and away the most I have ever spent on a bike and I wanted / expected it to be perfect.

[miguel]

been there

[miguel]

purely negative and offered no useful information.

1. its a race bike. no racks no fenders no bottle cages. no extras. the fact that you put v brakes on there (though they totally work better) is kind of weird because the canti cable stop looks funny and it's extra grams.

2. white is pro. pros dont change their own bartape let alone worry about paint scratches. any tape or protective doohickey you add to your frame for the sake of saving the paint is only adding grams (see #1). The first scratch is gonna be the hardest.

3. maybe those cable clearances are intentional? like, it's gonna be real difficult for thick sticky mud to get under cables that are stuck to the frame. That said, if you're riding in thick sticky mud you should give your bike a sexy spray down with cooking oil.

here's a photo of my 2nd hand pro white cyclocross bike. i added fenders, a v brake (see the canti cable stop?), a bottle cage (there were brazeons for 1 and i also have one of those clip on doodads for a 2nd), and a front rack (also got a different fork, original was carbon).

http://25.media.tumblr.com/ed84cec8bc870f3247a45ef1c9fc413f/tumblr_mtpc2m8U6z1qavji0o1_1280.jpg

and i ride the ···· out of it.




Truth is, this is far and away the most I have ever spent on a bike and I wanted / expected it to be perfect.
this is gonna be the hard one

buy new
or buy the bike built for your twin
Edit: the reason for this is so you know exactly what your bike was made for, fd pulley etc

[miguel]

the RD cable rubs against the SS and fender p clamp

[sjbraun]

1) "I am owner number three (I think)..."
So any "issues" with the frame belong to owner #1 and the folks at Hampsten. You don't really have gripe with Hampsten , who didn't build anything for you. You might have words with the person that sold you the frame and didn't reveal the cable rubbing.

2) You're not running the FD cable as designed and then you're complaining that it doesn't work as well as you'd like?
Really?

3) The frame looks pretty good and its been ridden by two other owners. Me thinks if there were going to be the problems you're concerned about, they'd be evident by now.

Ride the darn bike or if you're going to be particular about your ride (which is certainly your right,) get a custom bike built and make sure your builder knows exactly what you want. Then if you're dissatisfied and can't come to a resolution with the builder, you can complain publicly.

[zap]

I'm picky about have a nice clean bike with minimal scuffs. You should see my 10 year old Klein...

If you like the bike…..

……….run full length teflon liner (like Gore Ride On) and strategically place properly sized rubber donuts to prevent dirt/liner scuffing the paint.

[4Rings6Stars]

See my comments below, in bold. (oh man, I feel like I'm at work...)


1) "I am owner number three (I think)..."
So any "issues" with the frame belong to owner #1 and the folks at Hampsten. You don't really have gripe with Hampsten , who didn't build anything for you. You might have words with the person that sold you the frame and didn't reveal the cable rubbing. Yikes folks, re-read my post. I am not griping and complaining...just asking for information / advice, which most people provided. A few of you seem personally offended and I am not sure why.

2) You're not running the FD cable as designed and then you're complaining that it doesn't work as well as you'd like?
Really? Again, re-read please. I acknowledge that this is my fault by using it not as intended and not a design issue.

3) The frame looks pretty good and its been ridden by two other owners. Me thinks if there were going to be the problems you're concerned about, they'd be evident by now. Like I said, the bike works fine as-is, I just noticed the cable rubbing and that didn't seem normal to me...

Ride the darn bike or if you're going to be particular about your ride (which is certainly your right,) get a custom bike built and make sure your builder knows exactly what you want. Then if you're dissatisfied and can't come to a resolution with the builder, you can complain publicly. When I can afford to get a bike custom built for me by one of the greats, I certainly will.

[yashcha]

During the whole time I used this frame, the rear derailleur cable rubbing was not as issue, and I am really picky. It shifts perfectly, I may have used a teflon liner to keep the grit out, which may also have helped keep the paint intact, but nothing that I thought needed a rebraze.

I would totally buy this frameset back if that cable rub is bothering you, seller's remorse from a year ago... :) smiley face.

[likebikes]

when are you going to race it?

[nighthawk]

See my comments below, in bold. (oh man, I feel like I'm at work...)

Don't sweat it, man... I'm reading this the same way as you... Just looking for friendly advice (Not complaining about the frame construction)... Don't let those getting bent about this bother you.

[e-RICHIE]

Hey 4Rings6Stars - I have the franchise on liner since I wouldn't assemble a frame or let one leave here without it covering the cable wires. If you want some N/C just send a note. You already know the frame you have needs no changes other than to be assembled the way it was intended to be.

[pdmtong]

Hey 4Rings6Stars - I have the franchise on liner since I wouldn't assemble a frame or let one leave here without it covering the cable wires. If you want some N/C just send a note. You already know the frame you have needs no changes other than to be assembled the way it was intended to be.

Chapeau

I think we can all go back to sleep now

[4Rings6Stars]

Just to close the loop on this...

I'm going to run a bottom pull FD with a pulley and put some cable liner over the exposed section of the RD cable, courtesy of Richard Sachs...

...who is one hell of a dude. Sent me the liner and wouldn't accept $ for shipping, he even threw in some stickers.

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/telepciaka/Hampsten/DC220005-EA5C-45F3-9E8D-FF4C7E66661E_zps5b8pwaxx.jpg (http://s733.photobucket.com/user/telepciaka/media/Hampsten/DC220005-EA5C-45F3-9E8D-FF4C7E66661E_zps5b8pwaxx.jpg.html)


Sorry if any feathers were ruffled or if it came across as criticizing a great builder--neither was my intention. The bike rocks and I am happy. Now if only this snow will melt so I can get out and ride it in the woods...

[Saffs]

^ I fear we're going to see snow in those woods for a while yet.....